The Interior Dept. today announced the release of the 2023 Request for Proposals for the America the Beautiful Challenge, with up to $116 million in grants are expected to be awarded this year. Grant pre-proposals are due by Thursday, Apr. 20, and full proposals (by invitation only) are due by Thursday, July 20. Awards are expected to be announced in November.
Projects will be funded for river, coastal, wetland, and watershed conservation and restoration; conservation and restoration of forests, grasslands, and important ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks; wildlife corridor, large landscape, watershed, and seascape connection and reconnection, improving ecosystem and community resilience to climate-related threats, and expanding access to the outdoors (especially in underserved communities).
Launched in 2022, the purpose of the Challenge is to support ecosystem restoration projects through a public-private grant program that is consistent with the administration’s initiative to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (30×30). The Challenge is a partnership between the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Defense, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.
